Wash and See

 

 "Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes.  He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!" John 9:6-7

 

So many opinions and thoughts abound in this world and many claim that they are the ones that can truly "see." Their ideas are claimed to be right and some book or thought process becomes the latest fad. People get caught up in untruths thinking they are truth. Yet like the blind man they need Jesus' power to wash their eyes and see. We need His light to shine truth into our minds and illuminate the truth of God.

The greek word for "see" is horaó. One meaning is "to see with the mind" (i.e. spiritually see),  perceive (with inward spiritual perception). Then we can "see with out minds" to attend to the things of God that we were blind to previously. He opens our eyes and allows us to see His ways.

 Unconsciously carrying things in this life that weigh our souls down ---we need Jesus to wash our eyes so we can see and be healed.  Layers are peeled back and a sharp mind for Christ comes forth. Sin causes us to be blind to the things we need to shed. The burdens our hearts carry that we need to put mud over and wash clean.

The miracle of the blind man seeing wasn't only for two thousand years ago, but for the ages. Believing we can be washed clean and experience abundant peace and clarity is for all of God's people. We must ask, believe and lean our whole selves on Christ. There can be no unwillingness to let go of old sin's or habits that waste too much time and take the focus off of our faith. This world pulls hard and it tugs and doesn't want to let us go. But we have to let the world go. The fads, trends, websites, magazines, latest books, constant materialism, entertainment, tv shows, movies and acquiring the latest "things"---they must be let go if we want to aquire Christ. As we seek holiness these things fall away and we stand before God submitting ourselves to His will. A life spent chasing holiness results in the fruits of the spirit and eternal life. A life spent chasing this world is chasing the wind. It passes away and chasing the world ends in nothing. Each fad---passes away. Each new tv show---ends and goes out of date. Each thing we aquire---eventually rots and rusts. God? He stands forever.

"The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever." Isaiah 40:8

After Jesus healed this blind man the Pharisee's questioned Him.  "Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them." John 9:16 

There are many in this world even after seeing miracles and the great hand of God in the creation all around them still deny Christ. There are great things done in front of our very eyes and we don't get it! The man said:

“Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind.  If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” John 9:30-33

Jesus responds to them and tells them that they have a form of spiritual blindness. He turns their ideas and disbelief upside down.

Then Jesus told him,“I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”
“If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see. John 9:39-41

Claiming from our own wisdom that we can see, never realizing we are in fact blind and we hold ourselves back from a life of clarity, of healing, wisdom and seeing God's power. We place ourselves on a pedestal and our hearts remove God from His rightful place. We become blind because God is not in His rightful place and He is replaced with our own self attained learning.

There will be mockery, and there will be persecution. The life chasing Christ and all that He is will never be popular. Jesus was never popular. He was constantly questioned and persecuted until His death. Yet He is ruler of the world, sitting on His throne. He is above us, seated at the right hand of the Father. We all need to carry a mental image of this, and remember throughout our days, no matter what happens, He rules. May we always see Him and not be blind. May we pray that our layers of blindness are removed, and we only see Christ. He alone should be our world and anything that crowds Him out forsaken. Then we are truly like the blind man, able to see more than we ever imagined. Jesus will put the mud over our eyes and we can wash and see.

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." Colossians 3:1